April 17, 2024 - Stinson Beach, California

 Today, Ted and I left Ragged Point, backtracked south to pick up 101 North.  We couldn't continue north on Hwy 1 because of landslide that closed the road north of us.  We rode to San Francisco where Ted had the breakin service done on his new motorcycle.  It took a little longer than usual. 

We left the shop around 4:00 pm and headed north over the Golden Gate Bridge where we picked up Hwy 1 and jogged over to the coast.  We are staying at Sandpiper Lodging at the Beach in Stinson Beach.  It's a nice low key beach motel that could be from the 1950s. We walked to the Parkside Cafe for a dinner of fish tacos. Again, nothing fancy, just a low key California vibe.

The weather today was nice, temps in the 70s, mostly sunny and not too windy.  Traffic jammed up a little in San Francisco, but really wasn't as bad as I was expecting.  It was a little hectic getting out of the City close to rush hour, but it kept moving for the most part.

This morning's fog riding south on Hwy 1 from Ragged Point

Yesterday I hiked down to the beach from our hotel and found a lot of washed up plants

Ted and me waiting for dinner last night

Ragged Point beach

The sign at the beginning of the hike to the beach

Ted on his new 2023 BMW K1600 GT motorcycle

Ted riding this morning along the beach

April 16, 2024 - Ragged Point Inn and Resort, Ragged Point, California

 I am writing this in the hotel office.  There is no cell phone or wifi connections at the Ragged Point Inn & Resort, but it makes up for it in the coastal views, just amazing.  Two nights ago I stayed at a Howard Johnson/Wyndham Inn in Ridgecrest, California. It was a nice, old style motor inn that you can park in front of your room.

From there, yesterday I rode to the Ragged Point Inn, stopping for lunch at Robbin's Restaurant in Cambria, CA.  It was good, healthy food with a definite California vibe.  Next on the agenda was a stop at the Elephant Seal Vista Point.  The seals are massive and just lounge in the sun and sand on the beach. I was thinking the view point would be up on a high point in the road, but it was almost at ground level with the seals.  I could hear some of the males grunting and flipping sand on their backs.

I arrived at the hotel around 4:30 pm last evening pretty wiped out.  The ride was spectacular through grass covered rolling hills.  Today is a rest day for me.  Brother Ted is scheduled to arrive here late afternoon today.  Today he is flying from Denver to Burbank, picking up his new motorcycle and then riding here from Burbank. He also may have lunch in Burbank with an old high school friend before he heads up this way.

Tomorrow, Ted and I will ride to San Francisco where he is scheduled to have his new motorcycle serviced.  Not sure where will stay tomorrow night, but I think we both want to get out of the Bay Area up the coast a little.

Some California retirees enjoying the coastal scenery.  The live a little north of the SF bridge, but like it down in the Central Coast Area because it is more rural and laid back.

Elephant seals 

They look dead, but these elephant seals are all alive, grunting and flipping sand

Part of the coastal Highway 1 north of Cambria

View from the Ragged Point Inn & Resort, when it isn't foggy

April 14, 2024 - Ridgecrest, California

 Last night at stayed in a cabin at a KOA campground in Kingman, Arizona. Before yesterday, I never knew KOA's had cabins. It worked out well.  The cabin was pretty small but had everything I needed.  The site also has a swimming pool, whirlpool and small market.

During the KOA breakfast this morning I met a couple of guys who were tent camping at the KOA and riding 2 BMWs.  They were good friends and it was fun watching them go back and forth. 

The first leg of today I visited a Lake Mead observation area and was surprised the Lake still looked low. I thought they had gotten more rain out there. 

Next I stopped at Zabriskie Point, inside Death Valley National Park, which provides a view of the Badlands.  The formations looked like sand dunes, but weren't. 

I continued on Highway 190 until I turned south on Panamint Valley Road.  I noticed I had about one-half tank of gas but figured I'd be okay.  I came the closest I have ever come to running out of gas. I had no bars left on the gas gauge, with an estimated 3 miles left before I would run out of gas. Luckily, I found a gas station just in time.

Tomorrow, I head to Ragged Point Inn and Resort along the Pacific Coast Highway, where I will meet Brother Ted Tuesday.

My new best friends at the KOA Campground, Carl on my left and Paul on my right

The dash on the GS showing it had 3 miles left before running out of gas

The GS took 5.183 gallons of gas in its 5.2 gallon gas tank

$25.00 to enter Death Valley Park, they wouldn't take my lifetime National Park pass

Lake Mead

Death Valley wild flowers in bloom

The GS pointing to Death Valley

Zabriskie Point viewing area

Death Valley from the GS saddle

Saturday, April 13, 2024 - Kingman, Arizona

 Tonight I am staying in a cabin at a KOA campground at Kingman, Arizona. I never knew KOA campgrounds had cabins until last night when I was poking around looking for a place to stay and did not want to pay $200 a night for a Hampton Inn. This is a great find for half the price of a HI. It's a nice little cabin fully equipped, nearby is a nice swimming pool, whirlpool, and mini-market where I picked up a few things for dinner.

I rode here today from Gallup, New Mexico. The morning started out at 34 degrees and warmed up pretty quickly. I started on I-40 and switched to the infamous Route 66 in Seligman, AZ where I also had lunch at Westside Lilo's Cafe, which I highly recommend. 

The section of Route 66 was in good shape and remote, had much less traffic and only a few semi-trailer trucks.  But it did get windy again.  Temperatures today were all over the thermometer - starting in the 30's, warming into the mid-70's and then dropping again into the 50's when I reached an elevation of over 6,100 feet around Flagstaff, AZ.

Yesterday, I rode from Amarillo, Texas to Gallup, NM, around 500 miles, including a detour to ride to the top of Sandia Crest just outside Albuquerque, NM.  The ride to the top at over 10,000 feet was twisty and in mostly good shape except the last 2 miles or so which had a lot of loose gravel. The views of Albuquerque were spectacular.

Tomorrow, I plan on riding through Death Valley on my way to Ridgecrest, California where I will spend the night. I looked at spending the night in Death Valley but rooms were either not desirable, unavailable or way too expensive.

View of Albuquerque from the top of Sandia Crest

Leftover snow at the top of Sandia Crest

Some hungry cowboys and a massive elk on the wall at Westside Lilo's Cafe 

The GS watching guard outside my KOA cabin

My gourmet dinner tonight from the market at KOA

Route 66 in-between Seligman and Kingman

The GS checking us in at the KOA campground

Temperature this morning at Gallup

April 11, 2024 - Amarillo, Texas

 Yesterday a major storm blasted through West Monroe, Louisiana where I was spending the night. The hotel I was in lost power around 6:00 pm Tuesday night and it was still out when I left 11:30 am the next day.  I had a late start because I waited until the storm passed.  I had lunch yesterday at a really nice local restaurant called Sharon's Cafe in Arcadia, LA. It reminded me of homemade comfort food and hit the spot. I had Mexican chicken casserole, black eyed peas, broccoli, corn bread and a coffee for a grand total of $10.00.

Last night I stayed just across the Texas border in Marshall for a grand total of around 150 miles riden yesterday. Today, I rode over 500 miles to Amarillo, TX and am staying at the Big Texan Motel.  I had dinner tonight next door at the Big Texan Steak Ranch and Brewery where if you eat a 72-ounce steak and 2 sides in less than one hour you don't have to pay.  Even though I have not had any meat in nearly 4 months, I had to have a steak for dinner - when in Rome ...

Not sure where I will end up tomorrow.  I'm a little over halfway to where I am going to meet Brother Ted north of Los Angeles, and I am 4 days in, so I need to keep up the pace.

Some observations from the last couple of days:

• I was not sure how I would be holding up on the first long distance ride in 6 months and I am doing great.  My back is a little tight, to be expected, but I am not overly fatigued and feel good.
• The roads in Mississippi are terrible.  Going through downtown Jackson reminded me of a motocross course; huge sections of pavement missing, rolling waves in the pavement, almost as bad as some roads in Alaska and the Yukon.
• Texas has 2-laned roads with 75 mph speed limits.
• The recent rains and warm weather have brought out the wild flowers and bright green new growth on the mesquite in Texas.  No pictures because Sooz is not riding on the back taking action photos.
• The Texas panhandle is VERY windy.
• Almost everyone in Texas drives big pickup trucks, some are massive.
• Gas is about 50 cents per gallon cheaper in Texas compared to Florida.

In our Gainesville driveway ready to leave.

My lunch of comfort food at Sharon's Cafe in Arcadia, LA

A very nice playground at a rest area in Texas off Highway 287 with a "Watch for Rattlesnakes" sign

The Big Texan and The GS

More of The Big Texan

My room

The dining room. If you want to compete eating a 72 ounce steak in one hour, you have to sit at that table on the stage in front of everyone

My travels so far

Tuesday, April 9, 2024 - Monroe, Louisiana

I'm going to keep this short. As you can see below, there is a major storm rolling through Monroe. The hotel where I'm staying lost power about an hour ago.  I'm writing this on my phone. The GS is safely parked under the hotel's portico. 

Since leaving Gainesville yesterday morning I have riden around 700 miles. That is by far, the longest I have riden since we returned from the trip to Europe in October 2023. I needed a break. I wasn't sure how I would be feeling on this trip, and everything is going great. I feel fine. Although I do miss having Sooz on the backseat. But we are already planning a trip after I return. 

It Begins

 My brother Ted bought a new 2023 BMW 1600 GT at a dealer in Burbank, California and invited me to meet him there and ride home together, which I agreed to.  I will leave Gainesville around April 6 or 7, 2024 and start riding west. Sooz will not be joining me on this trip. When Ted and I ride together we don't do excessive stopping and staying multiple days in one spot. He owns and runs an auto repair shop and can't take more than 3 weeks off, including spending 4-5 days visiting his daughter in Denver.  So we will be moving right along.

Ted wants to ride up the California coast and visit Vancouver Island in Canada. It looks beautiful.  Round trip for me will in the 7,000 mile range if we go there.  Should be fun.